Charles Frankel

Faculty

Courses

Courses offered in the past four years. ▲indicates offered in the current term▹indicates offered in the upcoming term[s]

FREN 3423 - Regions of France

The Regions of France: History, Folklore and Culture

France is a patchwork of many regions, each boasting its own identity through its history, culture and dialect. Each week, this course will explore one specific French region—such as Brittany, Burgundy or Provence—from a variety of angles: its landscapes, folklore and legends; culinary traditions (the notion of terroir); and the way the region is portrayed through literature and cinema.
Examples of the latter include Germinal, in which Emile Zola captures the language and way of life of coal miners in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais; Colette’s memories of Burgundy and Georges Sand’s legends of her native Berry; and Marcel Pagnol’s Marius and Manon des Sources, in which the playwright highlights the social rituals, comic stances and devious plots of his Provençal characters. The class will read and analyze excerpts of these novels and plays, and will screen and discuss feature films relevant to each region.

GEOL 1002 - Mars: Geology & Exploration

Mars: Geology, Evolution, and Exploration
Mars is an Earth-like planet that holds a fascination for scientists, space explorers, science fiction writers, movie makers, and anyone with a curiosity about the sky. In this course, we will explore what we know about the geology and evolution of Mars from spacecraft missions. Volcanism, tectonics, existence of water, and possible presence of life are some topics that will be covered. We will study the results from the probes currently in orbit and on the surface of Mars. We will also investigate plans for sending humans to Mars and building a base on the red planet. lect./disc. WTR

INTD 1189 - Regions of France

Regions of France: Culture, Castles, & Wine
France is a patchwork of many regions, each boasting its own identity through its history and folklore, music and language, food and wine. In this course we will explore several French regions, including Brittany, the Loire Valley and Provence: their landscapes, economic and cultural history, culinary traditions—the notion of terroir—and the way in which they are portrayed in cinema and literature (including two novels by Provençal author Marcel Pagnol). Students will research the history, culture, and attributes of their own chosen or favorite region. [course taught in English] EUR WTR